Middle District of Florida

Orlando, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Colby William Ochsenhirt (35, DeLand) to seven years and five months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.  He pleaded guilty on May 29, 2013.

According to court documents, the investigation began when an Internet website reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a specific Internet Protocol (IP) address was engaged in a "video chat" depicting child pornography.  Law enforcement officials determined the location of the IP address and interviewed Ochsenhirt.  During the interview, Ochsenhirt admitted that he viewed the child pornography video and that he did not know whether the video was live streaming or not, meaning that he did not know if the child was being victimized at the time that he viewed it.  Ochsenhirt admitted that he sought videos of children being victimized in live time and had been doing so for five to six months.  Search warrants were executed upon computers and hard drives located at Ochsenhirt’s home and place of employment.  Forensic analysis revealed that Ochsenhirt possessed more than 1,700 images and 240 videos containing child pornography.

“Possessing child pornography is not a victimless crime. It haunts the children depicted in it, who live daily with the knowledge that countless strangers use an image of their worst experiences for their own gratification,” said Susan McCormick, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Tampa. “Our local law enforcement partners play an essential role in helping us arrest and prosecute these child predators.”

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher LaForgia.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Freddie Wilson to 8 years and 6 months in federal prison for theft of government funds, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and obstruction of justice.  The court also ordered Wilson to forfeit a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro and approximately $8,700, which are traceable to proceeds of the offenses, and entered a money judgment against him in the amount of $39,197.72.

Wilson was found guilty by a jury on July 11, 2013.

According to court documents, Wilson was a licensed bail bondsman who ran Against All Odds Bail Bonds, Inc. in Tampa.  In June 2012, Wilson opened an account in the name of Against All Odds, at a local bank, under the guise that he was a check casher.  Within a three month period, he deposited over $318,000 in U.S. Treasury income tax refund checks that were issued as a result of fraudulently filed federal income tax returns.  Wilson used the identities of deceased, elderly, and disabled victims to deposit the checks.   Wilson spent all of the money on personal expenses, including the purchase of the 2011 Camaro, mortgage payments, expensive restaurants, hotels, and large dollar transactions at a casino. 

In January 2013, a federal search warrant was executed at Against All Odds Bail Bonds, and agents seized the Camaro and approximately $8,600 that remained in a bank account from the fraudulent tax refunds.  Wilson subsequently obstructed the criminal investigation by taking records that were seized during the search warrant and failing to return them to the government.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josephine W. Thomas.

Orlando, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the forfeiture of $1,552,588.62 obtained from the sale of the Desert Inn Hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida. In July 2011, Dennis Brian Devlin, of Daytona Beach, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a minor. As part of Devlin’s sentence, the court ordered Devlin to forfeit his interest in the Desert Inn because it was used to facilitate the crimes for which he was convicted.

The titled owner of the Desert Inn, Deslin Hotels, Inc., filed a claim to contest the forfeiture of the hotel because it alleged that Devlin did not have an interest in the hotel. After several months of litigation, a settlement was reached wherein Deslin Hotels, Inc. conceded to the forfeiture of $1,552,588.62, which represents Devlin’s interest in the proceeds obtained from the recent sale of the Desert Inn.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The forfeitures were handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole M. Andrejko.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele today sentenced Frederick R. Green to 4 years in federal prison for false claims against the government, possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices, and theft of government money.  The court also ordered Green to forfeit $10,322.00 in United States currency, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense.  In addition, Green was ordered to pay $311,746.00 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Green pleaded guilty on March 5, 2013.

According to court documents, on or about January 20, 2012, Green knowingly filed a false federal income tax return using the name E.P., in which he made a fraudulent claim for an income tax refund in the amount of $9,913, to the Internal Revenue Service.

The Internal Revenue Service confirmed that on January 20, 2012, E.P.’s return was prepared, received and processed by the IRS and a refund in the amount of $9,913 was applied to a Bancorp debit card.

The Internal Revenue Service conducted additional research and determined that more than 70 returns were filed from the same IP address utilized by Green on January 20, 2012.

A search warrant was executed on July 12, 2012, on Green’s residence in Collier County.  During the execution of the warrant, Green was found to be in possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices.  Specifically, he was in possession of 25 debit cards in other peoples’ names that were found in his jacket pocket.  Further, there were numerous other debit cards on the table next to his computer.  One of the cards found during the execution of the search warrant was in E.P.’s name.  Agents also located sheets of personal identifying information and more than $10,000 in cash.

From at least January 20, 2012 through July 12, 2012, Green knowingly and willfully stole and converted to his own use money that belonged to the United States.  The amount of the returns filed from the IP address while it was assigned to Green’s residence is $648,967.  From the fraudulent claims for income tax refunds, Green received payment for $311,746.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office as part of the United States Secret Service Southwest Florida Financial Crimes Strike Force, and the Internal Revenue Service.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

Jacksonville, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Aaron M. Richardson (24, Jacksonville) with a number of federal offenses, including the attempted murder of United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan. In addition to the attempted murder of a sitting United States District Judge, the indictment also charges Richardson with federal firearm offenses involving the possession and discharge of a stolen firearm, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The indictment also charges Richardson with failure to attend court hearings and making numerous false statements to the FBI and his supervising probation officer. Finally, the indictment alleges that Richardson impersonated a Captain in the United States Navy.

In total, the indictment charges Richardson with committing twenty-five separate federal offenses. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Richardson that the United States intends to forfeit a Savage Arms .30-06 rifle and Winchester ammunition used during the attempted murder.

According to the indictment and court records, Judge Corrigan previously convicted and sentenced Richardson for attempting to make an incendiary device in a 2008 case. Following incarceration for that crime, Richardson was serving a term of supervised release. Beginning in 2012, Richardson made a number of false statements to his probation officer about new arrests and new criminal court appearances in Clay, Duval, and Volusia Counties. On January 30, 2013, Richardson appeared in federal court on a petition alleging his violation of supervised release for committing new crimes. Richardson was released with conditions that day.

The indictment alleges that Richardson continued making false statements to his assigned probation officer and failed to appear for court hearings on June 3 and June 11, 2013. Shortly thereafter, Richardson stole a Savage Arms .30-06 rifle and ammunition from the a Sports Authority store in Jacksonville. Several days later, on June 23, 2013, he discharged that rifle during his attempt to murder Judge Corrigan.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the FBI and multiple other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Probation Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the Clay County Sheriff's Office, the Baker County Sheriff's Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, the Daytona Beach Police Department, and the Bethune Cookman University Public Safety Office. The case will be prosecuted by Deputy Chief Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III and Assistant United States Attorney Mark B. Devereaux.

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Funds Will Hire School Resource Officers and Critical Law Enforcement Positions

Tampa – Acting U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), today announced funding awards for the Middle District of Florida.

The grantees and amount awarded include: Collier County Sheriff’s Office - $500,000, Hendry County Sheriff’s Office - $904,895, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office - $1,250,000, and Pasco County Sheriff’s Office - $1,250,000.

“In the wake of past tragedies, it's clear that we need to be willing to take all possible steps to ensure that our kids are safe when they go to school,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “These critical investments represent the Justice Department's latest effort to strengthen key law enforcement capabilities, and to provide communities with the resources they need to protect our young people. Especially in a time of increased challenges and limited budgets, our top priority must always be the safety and well-being of our children.”

Overall the COPS Office funded awards to 263 cities and counties, aimed at creating 937 law enforcement positions.  More than $125 million will be awarded nationally, including nearly $45 million to fund 356 new school resource officer positions.

“Keeping our children safe when they go to school is of critical importance and I am pleased to join the Attorney General and the COPS Office in announcing these grants which will help provide our communities with the resources needed to accomplish this vital mission,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bentley.

“The COPS Office is pleased to assist local law enforcement agencies throughout the country address their most critical public safety issues,” said Joshua Ederheimer, Acting Director of the COPS Office.  “Funding from this year’s program will allow many cities and counties to apply new sworn personnel to issues related to violent crime, property crime, and school safety.”

The COPS Hiring Program offers grants to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire or rehire community policing officers.  The program provides the salary and benefits for officer and deputy hires for three years.

Grantees for the 2013 hiring program were selected based on their fiscal needs, local crime rates, and their community policing plans.  There was an additional focus this year on agencies requesting assistance in developing school safety programs that would include the hiring of a school resource officer.  School resource officer positions funded by the COPS Office are sworn law enforcement positions that work within a school district or facility, interacting directly with school administrators and students.   

The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide.  Since 1995, COPS has awarded over $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 125,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training, and technical assistance.

For the entire list of grantees and additional information about the 2013 COPS Hiring Program, visit the COPS website at www.cops.usdoj.gov.

Ocala, Florida - U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Boyd Wallace Higginbotham, Jr. (55) to life in federal prison for murdering fellow inmate Steven Pritchard. A federal jury found Higginbotham guilty of first degree murder following a trial that concluded on August 22, 2013.

Both Higginbotham and Pritchard were inmates at United States Penitentiary II at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex, in Sumter County, Florida. Higginbotham was serving a sentence on a felon in possession of a firearm conviction. Pritchard was serving a sentence on a bank robbery conviction.

According to evidence presented at trial, Higginbotham and Pritchard had been having an escalating dispute over several days. On February 20, 2008, Higginbotham and Pritchard were both at the same table in the penitentiary mess hall during lunch when Pritchard made threatening comments to Higginbotham in front of other inmates. Higginbotham got up, walked away from the table, and took his tray to the tray return area. Higginbotham then walked up behind Pritchard, grabbed him around the neck, and repeatedly stabbed him with a homemade knife. He stabbed him in the chest, abdomen, back, and forearm. Pritchard was air lifted to the trauma unit at the Orlando Regional Medical Center. On March 6, 2008, Pritchard died as a result of complications from the stab wounds.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sam Armstrong.

Tampa, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Camilo Torres-Martinez, aka Fritanga (41, Colombia), yesterday pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import into the United States five kilograms or more of cocaine; conspiracy to manufacture and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, intending that it would be unlawfully imported into the United States; and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life in federal prison for each count. Torres-Martinez was extradited from Colombia to the Middle District of Florida to face these charges.

According to court documents, Torres-Martinez admitted that from 2001 until June 2012, he organized and coordinated cocaine transportation operations. Torres-Martinez and his drug trafficking organization transported large quantities of cocaine in vessels dispatched off the Northern coast of Colombia. The cocaine was transported from the coast of Colombia to Honduras, for ultimate introduction into, and distribution in, the United States. The drug trafficking organization utilized speedboats and fishing vessels to transport the drugs.

On November 8, 2004, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted a 40-foot speedboat in international waters in the Carribean Sea. Coast Guard personnel recovered a total of 2,652 kilograms of cocaine. On July 6, 2005, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted a Honduran-flagged fishing vessel, the Ocean Mistery, in international waters in the Carribean Sea. Coast Guard personnel recovered a total of 2,483 kilograms of cocaine. Both of these drug transport operations were organized by Torres-Martinez.

This case was investigated by OCDETF's Panama Express Strike Force, comprised of agents and analysts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, and Joint Interagency Task Force South. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez.

Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore yesterday sentenced Chad Allen Lazzari (45, Tarpon Springs) to 15 months in federal prison for wire fraud and making false statements to federally-insured banks. As part of Lazzari's sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $670,982.65, the proceeds of the mortgage fraud offenses. In addition, he was also ordered to forfeit his interest in a specified cashier's check and a personal injury claim. Lazzari pleaded guilty on June 5, 2013.

According to court documents, in 2007 and 2008, Lazzari submitted and caused the submission of mortgage and home equity loan applications containing false and fraudulent statements to Regions Bank, SunTrust Bank, and Fifth Third Bank in the Middle District of Florida. In the loan applications, Lazzari fraudulently represented that he was a single man, when in fact he was married, and in some instances, submitted false income tax returns and other fraudulent documents in an effort to substantiate this claim and otherwise enhance the financial qualifications of the borrower on the loan applications. For example, on or about June 6, 2006, Lazzari purchased the residence located at 201 Fairmont Drive, Spring Hill, Florida 34610, as an investment property. In connection with purchase, he represented himself as a single man.

Slightly more than one year later, in or about August - September 2007, Lazzari prepared a fraudulent mortgage loan application in the name of his spouse, Lin Lin Liu, and submitted it to Homecomings Financial, LLC, in connection with his sale of the Fairmont Drive home to his spouse. The purpose of the sale was to avoid foreclosure of the investment property in his name. Among other things, the mortgage loan application in Lazzari's spouse’s name contained several material false statements. It did not disclose the fact that the seller and buyer were married, falsely reported that Lazzari's spouse was gainfully employed and making a sizable income, which was not true, included false statements about Lazzari's spouse's assets, and misrepresented the truth about his spouse's address. Homecomings Financial, LLC approved the fraudulent mortgage loan application in Lazzari's spouse’s then-name, Lin Lin Liu (changed shortly thereafter to Victoria Liu Lazzari). On September 7, 2007, Homecomings Financial, LLC wired $324,482.65 in mortgage loan proceeds. Lazzari's spouse never made a single mortgage payment, and the property was foreclosed upon.

On or about March 17, 2008, Lazzari submitted three different home equity loan applications (totaling $76,500), in varying amounts, to three separate banks, on a different residence. In each instance, Lazzari represented himself as single or unmarried with the intent to influence the actions of the banks on his loan applications. Lazzari failed to report to any one of the banks that he had made home equity loan applications to the other two banks, or that the Fairmont Drive home, which he had fraudulently sold to his spouse, was in foreclosure. Ultimately, Lazzari defaulted on all of these loans.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle DesVaux Bedke.

Orlando, Florida, - U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell today sentenced Jason G. Aman (30, Merritt Island) to 10 years in federal prison for online enticement of a minor to travel to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Aman to serve a 5-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender, upon his release from prison. Aman pleaded guilty on June 3, 2013.

According to court documents, on November 10, 2012, Aman initiated contact in an Internet chat room with an undercover agent whom he believed to be a “14-year-old girl.” On the same day, he chatted using graphic and explicit sexual language expressing his desire to engage in sexual activity with the girl whom he acknowledged was 14 years old. Aman instructed the “14-year-old” to wear certain clothing and arranged to meet with her in Brevard County. When he arrived at the arranged location, Aman encountered undercover agents and was arrested.

This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Myrna Amelia Mesa.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Jacksonville, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Jimmy Laverne Holmes (57, Fleming Island) has been charged by a federal criminal complaint with receiving child pornography over the Internet. If convicted, Holmes faces at least 5 years, and up to 20 years in prison. Holmes was arrested yesterday at his Fleming Island residence, and later made his initial appearance in court. A detention hearing is scheduled before United States Magistrate Judge Monte C. Richardson on September 26, 2013 at 2:30 p.m.

According to the criminal complaint, on September 24, 2013, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office executed a federal search warrant at Holmes’ residence. Holmes was at the residence and was interviewed by agents. Holmes indicated, among other things, that he works at the Barco-Newton YMCA in Fleming Island, where he teaches sports to children. Holmes admitted using a file sharing program to download child pornography and share it with other computer users, and further stated that child pornography would be found on his external hard drives. An onsite examination of one of Holmes’ external hard drives revealed that it contained child pornography. Holmes was subsequently arrested.

A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

Tampa, FL -  Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Michael Meister (57, Seminole) was found guilty yesterday of possession and distribution of child pornography following a bench trial. Meister  faces a maximum penalty of 40  years in federal prison.  His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 19, 2013, at 9:30 a.m.  Meister was indicted on August 11, 2011.

According to the facts presented at trial, on July 30, 2007, Meister took his Dell laptop to a computer repair shop in Pinellas County and requested that certain files be moved from his old laptop onto a new laptop computer that he had recently purchased.  While the computer technician was transferring files, he viewed what he believed to be child pornography and called law enforcement.  Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and performed a search of the computer.   A forensic analysis of the computer hard drive revealed that Meister knowingly possessed and distributed child pornography.

This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in conjunction with their work on the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Child Exploitation Task Force. It is being  prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda C. Kaiser.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Tampa, Florida - United States District Judge Susan Bucklew today sentenced Edward Benjamin Alister Beckles (59, Pasco County) to 4 years in federal prison for distributing Oxycodone. He was also ordered to serve a two-year term of supervised release. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $175,000, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Beckles pleaded guilty on March 26, 2013.

According to court documents, in 2010, detectives from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration began an investigation to identify members of a large Oxycodone pill distribution ring. As a result of the investigation, 33 individuals were arrested and prosecuted.

From August 2009 through January 2012, individuals presented fraudulent prescriptions for Oxycodone to Beckles at his pharmacy and he filled the prescriptions, knowing they were fraudulent. Beckles was a licensed pharmacist and the owner of Ed’s Family Friendly Pharmacy in New Port Richey. During the investigation, Beckles provided federal agents with a computer printout that showed the pharmacy made in excess of $130,000 in a 45-day period from the illegal sale of Oxycodone. According to this document, Beckles filled approximately 210 fraudulent prescriptions in the 45-day period. Each prescription was for 270 pills.

This case was brought as part of the Pill Nation initiative and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez.

Tampa, FL - U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Maurice J. Larry to 14 ½ years in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges stemming from his scheme to defraud the IRS with co-defendant, Rashia Wilson. The court also ordered Larry to forfeit $2,240,096.39, the traceable proceeds of the offense.

He pleaded guilty on April 11, 2013. Larry will serve this sentence concurrently with his sentence from another unrelated tax fraud case. Judge Kovachevich sentenced Larry to 8 years and 5 months in prison yesterday for his involvement in the other tax fraud case. According to court documents, Larry and his co-conspirator, Rashia Wilson, engaged in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by negotiating fraudulently obtained tax refunds. They did so by receiving U.S. Treasury checks and pre-paid debit cards that were loaded with proceeds derived from filing false and fraudulent federal income tax returns in other persons' names, without those persons’ permission or knowledge. Larry and Wilson filed these false and fraudulent federal income tax returns from multiple locations, including Wilson's residence and hotels in the Tampa area. Wilson, Larry, and others then used these fraudulently obtained tax refunds to make hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of retail purchases, to purchase money orders, and to withdraw cash.

During the course of the investigation, agents searched Wilson's residence and Larry's storage unit. They recovered thousands of names and social security numbers found in ledgers and various other records. Additional reloadable debit cards loaded with fraudulent tax refunds were also found in both locations.
The IRS estimates that the actual loss from Wilson and Larry's scheme is at least $3,147,477, and the intended loss is in excess of $11 million.

IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James D. Robnett said, "Individuals who commit refund fraud and identity theft of this magnitude and with this degree of trickery, dishonesty and deceit, deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. IRS Criminal Investigation, along with our Tampa Bay alliance partners and the United States Attorney's Office, remain vigilant in identifying, investigating and prosecuting those individuals who seek to willfully defraud the United States Treasury and blatantly disregard the victims of their schemes."

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara C. Sweeney and Mandy Riedel.

Tampa, FL - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld the 1999 convictions of former fugitive Sholam Weiss on 78 counts of racketeering, wire fraud, interstate transportation of stolen funds, money laundering, and other offenses arising from his participation in a scheme to defraud National Heritage Life Insurance Company ("NHLIC"). 

The evidence at trial established that Weiss had been instrumental in causing NHLIC a loss of more than $125 million and had worked with certain NHLIC insiders to hide those losses from company executives and state insurance regulators while, at the same time, enriching himself with the company's assets.  During his nine-month trial in 1999, Weiss absconded while the jury was deliberating. Following the jury's return of a guilty verdict on all counts of the indictment, the Honorable Patricia C. Fawsett, United States District Judge, sentenced Weiss in his absence to serve 845 years' imprisonment, imposed a $123,399,910 fine, ordered him to pay $125,016,656 in restitution, and ordered him to forfeit money and property.  When law enforcement officers eventually found Weiss living in Austria, that country extradited him to the United States in 2002, after which the district court vacated one of his counts of conviction (obstruction of justice) and reduced his sentence to 835 years' imprisonment, in compliance with the terms of the extradition.

Weiss argued on appeal that his convictions should be vacated because, at the time of his trial, prosecutors had served a subpoena on one of his attorneys, Robert Leventhal, thereby effectively disqualifying Leventhal from representing Weiss at trial.  But,  after hearing oral argument last week, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals held that "there is no evidence that the government acted in bad faith when it subpoenaed Leventhal’s testimony."  The Court also said that Leventhal could not have represented Weiss at trial anyway because Weiss had created a conflict of interest; he had used Leventhal to submit documents and recordings to investigators, and those documents and recordings, unbeknownst to Leventhal, were fraudulent.  The Court also rejected Weiss' contention that the district court had erred when instructing the jury on the wire fraud counts of the indictment.

The appeal was handled by former Assistant United States Attorney Judy K. Hunt and Assistant United States Attorney Linda Julin McNamara.  The underlying case was prosecuted by Hunt and former Assistant United States Attorney Thomas W. Turner (now a judge in the Ninth Circuit Court of Florida).  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service.

Tampa, Florida -  Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Vanessa Cooper (39, El Cajon, California), Canetha Johnson (43, El Cajon, California) and Selena Blanchard (41, San Diego, California) guilty of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.  Cooper, Johnson, and Blanchard each face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.  The sentencing hearings are scheduled for December 16, 2013.  All three individuals were indicted on April 11, 2013.

According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, on or about April 1, 2013, Cooper, Johnson and Blanchard departed from the airport in San Diego destined for Tampa, with the purpose of delivering approximately two pounds of high-purity methamphetamine to co-defendant Raul Carbajal.  In order to get the drugs through airport security without detection, each of the women concealed the drugs on her body. On April 2, 2013, they arrived in Tampa where they were met by Carbajal.  The three women then delivered the packages of methamphetamine to him. In the same manner, Cooper and Blanchard had previously delivered methamphetamine from California to Carbajal in Tampa on several occasions. 

This case was investigated by special agents and local task force agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Jackson.

Tampa, Florida - United States District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich sentenced Maurice Larry today to eight years and five months in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States Treasury through tax fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of the sentence, a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $181,890 was entered. In addition, specific items purchased with fraud proceeds, and other substitute assets, were also ordered to be forfeited including two 2010 Chevrolet Camaros, a 1986 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, a motor scooter, laptop computers, and assorted jewelry. The sentencing hearing for Larry's co-defendant, Marterrence Hollaway, a/k/a/ Quat, is scheduled for October 16, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Kovechevich.

According to court documents, in September 2010, Holloway and Larry filed fraudulent tax returns from a hotel room at the Howard Johnson Hotel on 50th Street in Tampa. The room was booked in Larry's name. The investigation revealed that agents located four computers which were used to electronically file fraudulent tax returns in the names of deceased individuals. Ledgers and lists of stolen names, dates of birth and social security numbers were also found in the room. The lists of names also had a six-digit alpha code or password next to them to be used for electronic access. Some of the names were annotated with either "A" or "R" next to them to indicate that a tax return filed in that name was either accepted or rejected. Multiple reloadable debit cards were also found in the hotel room along with ATM receipts for cash withdrawals, and approximate $3,700 in cash. Larry and Holloway admitted to filing fraudulent tax returns on the computers while staying at the hotel. The investigation also revealed that in May 2012, Larry used a fraudulent debit card at a local bank ATM machine. The card was loaded with more than $9,900, that were traced to a fraudulently filed tax return.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Secret Service and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.

Maurice Larry is also scheduled for sentencing tomorrow, September 24, 2013, at 10:30 A.M. before United States District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. Larry will be sentenced for tax fraud and aggravated identity charges filed in a separate case, United States v. Rashia Wilson and Maurice Larry, Case No. 8:12-cr-552-T-30TGW. He pleaded guilty in that case in April 2013.

Orlando, FL - Senior U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell today sentenced Tina Mangiardi (50, Orlando) to seven years in federal prison for money laundering. The court also ordered Mangiardi to pay restitution to the victims. A restitution hearing will be scheduled for a later date. As part of her sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $100,000, the proceeds of the prohibited monetary transaction. Mangiardi pleaded guilty on May 7, 2013.

According to court documents, between 2009 and 2012, Mangiardi, under the corporate name of TLM Design and Construction, Inc. (TLM), engaged in a scheme wherein she fraudulently obtained more than $2.5 million from investors. During the scheme, Mangiardi convinced victims to invest large sums of money in a construction “bid bond” investment. In return, and as inducements to invest, Mangiardi promised the return of the investors’ initial investment, as well as bonus money and additional monetary payments at rates as high as 100%. However, Mangiardi was not awarded bid bond contracts with the investment funds because the construction projects that she allegedly bid on, never existed. Instead, Mangiardi diverted the money for her own use.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service with the assistance of the Orlando Police Department Economic Crimes Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haas.

Fort Myers, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the filing of an information and signed plea agreement in United States District Court against Lee County Commissioner Tammara Ann Hall, a/k/a Tammy Hall (53, Cape Coral). The information charges Hall with one count of wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. An initial appearance and acceptance of plea hearing is set for October 3, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas Frazier.

According to the plea agreement, Hall was a Lee County Commissioner running for re-election in the November 2010 general election. From November 2009 to November 2010, Hall diverted and embezzled approximately $33,756 of donor contributions to the Tammy Hall campaign fund, and used the money for personal expenditures unrelated to the campaign. Hall completed Florida Department of State campaign fund quarterly reports and failed to disclose that she had diverted campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses. She falsely represented the nature of the expenditures, which she made for personal purposes, or omitted certain campaign contribution checks from the quarterly reports. Hall stole from her campaign fund by transferring funds electronically from the campaign bank account to her personal bank account, by writing checks from the campaign bank account and depositing the checks to her personal bank account, and by depositing certain donor campaign contribution checks directly into her personal bank account. Hall used interstate wires to accomplish the electronic transfer of funds from her campaign account to her personal account at Wachovia Bank.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.

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Tampa, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury found Alma Lucrecia Hernandez-Preciado, a/k/a "La Tia," (40, Tecun Uman, Guatemala) guilty last week of two counts of violating the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. An indictment was returned against Hernandez-Preciado, in Tampa, on September 22, 2011. She was arrested in Guatemala on October 10, 2011, and extradited to Tampa in February 2013 to face the charges. Hernandez-Preciado faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 17, 2013, before the Honorable Susan C. Bucklew.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, from a date unknown to the date of the indictment, Hernandez-Preciado conspired with others, including persons who were on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. Hernandez-Preciado was also convicted of aiding and abetting others, including persons who were on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, with respect to the possession with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. The evidence presented at trial proved that Hernandez-Preciado organized a series of maritime cocaine smuggling shipments from Ecuador to Guatemala, including a smuggling venture where the crew of a go-fast boat was interdicted by the United States Coast Guard on May 19, 2011, off the coast of Guatemala. During that interdiction, 347 kilograms of cocaine were seized by the Coast Guard.

Evidence presented at trial included testimony from the U.S. Coast Guard, wiretap intercepts conducted by the Guatemalan National Police, cooperating witnesses in the smuggling conspiracy, as well as communications obtained from Hernandez-Preciado by Panama Express Strike Force agents.

This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an OCDETF funded operation targeting maritime smuggling. Participating agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), including DEA's Guatemala City Country Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Joint Interagency Task Force - South (JIATFS) and the United States Marshals Service, with assistance from the government of Guatemala and Guatemalan law enforcement agencies.

The case was indicted by Assistant United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow and tried by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph K. Ruddy.

Orlando, FL - U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell today sentenced Abdul Cunningham to 12 years in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered Cunningham to pay restitution in the amount of $560,731.00. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $560,731.00, the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme.

Cunningham pleaded guilty on June 13, 2013. Co-defendant, Jana Harris-Cunningham, pleaded guilty on June 24, 2013. Harris-Cunningham is scheduled to be sentenced on October 7, 2013 at 1:00pm before Judge Presnell.

According to court documents, the defendants engaged in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Treasury Department by filing fraudulent income tax returns and negotiating fraudulent tax refunds using stolen identities, commonly referred to as Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF). As part of their scheme, both used the stolen identities along with false and fraudulent wage and tax withholding information to prepare fraudulent federal income tax returns, thereby falsely claiming refunds. After filing the false returns, Cunningham and Harris-Cunningham accepted, negotiated, and “swiped” reloadable debit cards that they knew contained fraudulently obtained income tax refunds.

Cunningham and Harris-Cunningham filed 145 false claims with the IRS for tax years 2010 and 2011. These false claims totaled $816,790. Of that amount, the IRS paid out $560,731.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Rockledge Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haas.

Jacksonville, Florida -United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard sentenced William Douglas Smith, III (29, Jacksonville) to 6 years and 10 months in prison for receiving child pornography over the Internet. He was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. Smith pleaded guilty on June 3, 2013, and has been in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since August 27, 2013.

According to court documents, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in Jacksonville, began an investigation to identify individuals that had access to and/or were trading images and videos depicting child pornography over the Internet. The agent determined that a computer using a particular internet protocol (IP) address in the Jacksonville area was hosting images of child pornography using a file sharing program. The agent made a connection to this computer through the Internet and downloaded several video files directly from this computer. Each of the videos depicted young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Further investigation revealed that the IP address resolved back to Smith’s Jacksonville residence.

On December 6, 2012, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Smith's residence and seized, among other things, five computers and 66 compact discs. A subsequent forensic analysis of the computer used by Smith revealed that it contained more than 250 videos of child pornography. During an interview with law enforcement, Smith admitted to accumulating and collection child pornography and said that he enjoyed "the naughtiness of it." He stated that child pornography videos "get your heart going."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Orlando, Florida - Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Scott Michael Patrick (48, Portland, Oregon) to 8 years and 4 months in federal prison for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. He was found guilty by a federal jury on June 12, 2013. Patrick will begin serving the sentence upon completion of his current federal sentence, which was imposed following a federal conviction for bank robbery. Patrick has been held in isolation due to his violent past and association with a violent white supremacist prison group.

According to court documents, Patrick, who was an inmate at the Coleman Correctional Complex, carried out a plan to viciously attack the victim. On February 3, 2007, Patrick went to the victim's assigned unit where he began shadow boxing and stretching inside of another inmate's cell before attacking the victim. After the victim walked past the cell, Patrick and another inmate began brutally beating the victim. A third inmate joined in the fight and stabbed the victim six times while Patrick continued to strike the victim until he collapsed to the floor, smacking his head against a metal kick plate. Patrick is a member of the Aryan Resistance Movement, a violent white supremacist prison gang.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vincent A. Citro and James D. Mandolfo.

Orlando, Florida - U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp yesterday sentenced Anthony V. White (31, Daytona) to fifteen years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, commonly known as "crack" cocaine, and for possessing a firearm and ammunition after having been previously convicted of a felony offense. He was sentenced to a 5-year term of supervision, following his release from prison. The court also ordered White to forfeit the handgun and ammunition seized from him at the time of the offenses. White pleaded guilty on June 25, 2013.

According to court documents, on the morning of March 29, 2012, in connection with a hit and run accident investigation, officers found a stolen car in the parking lot of the La Quinta Inn on W. International Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach. The investigation led officers to room 246. When officers knocked on the door, White fled by jumping from the balcony, with a brown purse in his hand. White was apprehended, and the brown purse was found to contain twenty-one baggies of "crack" cocaine, as well as a scale for weighing the drugs. Left behind in the hotel room was a black duffle bag, with a firearm sticking out, and White’s wallet (with identification) next to it.

As a previously convicted felon, White is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. Moreover, White's extensive criminal record qualified him as an Armed Career Criminal under federal sentencing statutes.

This case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Daytona Beach Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs Jr.

Ocala, Florida - Senior U.S. District Judge Wm. Terrell Hodges today sentenced Christian Labrent Moore (31, Ocala) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition affecting commerce by a convicted felon. Moore pleaded guilty on June 18, 2013.

According to court documents, on March 20, 2013, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of illegal drug sales in the area of SW Second Street, in Ocala. Once there, the deputies observed Moore sitting on the front porch of a residence holding a clear baggie of marijuana and cocaine. As the deputies approached Moore, they saw him remove a loaded firearm from his pocket and toss it into a trash can. Moore spontaneously told the deputies that he had just traded drugs for the firearm and that he had just been released from prison. A subsequent records check confirmed that Moore had been released from the Florida Department of Corrections on January 15, 2013, where he had been serving time for drug distribution. Moreover, Moore's prior record of drug and violent crimes made him eligible for an enhanced sentence in federal court as an Armed Career Criminal.

This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Julie Leon, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Orlando, Florida - Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II yesterday sentenced Alexander Lee (31, Kissimmee) to 5 years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography. Lee was also ordered to register as a sex offender and to serve a 10-year term of supervision, upon his release from prison. Lee pleaded guilty on June 26, 2012.

According to the evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Lee used a peer-to-peer program to download child pornography. On October 9, 2012, special agents with Homeland Security Investigations, along with agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, executed a federal search warrant at Lee’s apartment. A forensic review of Lee’s computer revealed that he downloaded 1,047 images of child pornography on February 19, 2012. Further forensic review revealed that Lee downloaded more than 100,000 images and videos of child pornography.

“Receiving child pornography is not a victimless crime. It haunts the children depicted in it, who live daily with the knowledge that countless strangers use an image of their worst experiences for their own gratification,” said Susan McCormick, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Tampa, which oversees the agency’s Orlando office that conducted this investigation. “It is our duty as special agents to find and arrest these child predators and ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Orlando, Florida - U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell today sentenced Maurice Evans (44, Orlando) to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison and James Marvin Lovett (43, Cocoa) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. Evans and Lovett pleaded guilty on June 24, 2013.

According to court documents, on January 29, 2013, law enforcement agents began monitoring communications between Evans and Lovett. Agents learned of their contact with a cocaine supply source located elsewhere in Florida. After making several trips to the supply source to obtain kilograms of cocaine, on February 13, 2013, agents arrested Lovett, who had three kilograms of cocaine in his car. Shortly afterwards, agents intercepted a call from Evans and the source of supply, telling the source to drop their telephones because Lovett had been arrested. Agents eventually executed a search warrant at Lovett’s house and found a cocaine re-processing operation, including a hydraulic press, press plates, aluminum molds, packaging material, scales, cut material, mixing utensils, a microwave, and cocaine.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Brevard County Sheriff's Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent A. Citro.

Orlando, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Pedro Benevides (44, Astatula) with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, nine counts of bank fraud, and nine counts of making false statements to financial institutions.  If convicted, Benevides faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a $1million fine for each of the nineteen charged counts.  The indictment also notifies Benevides that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of $44,059,565.00, the proceeds of the charged conspiracy.

According to the indictment, from about 2005 through about September 2008, Benevides, using several businesses that he controlled, participated in a conspiracy and a fraudulent scheme to obtain $44,059,565.00 in various loans from federally insured financial institutions.  Benevides allegedly submitted and caused the submission of documents to those institutions that contained materially false and fraudulent information.  In particular, he submitted and caused the submission of documents that, among other things: (a) contained false information concerning the income and assets of the person or entity in whose name Benevides sought the loans, mortgages, and lines of credit; (b) were false and forged business and personal tax return documents; (c) were false and forged financial statements that purported to be from financial institutions; (d) were false and forged bank statements; (e) were a false and forged official checks; and (f) were false and forged correspondence from a title and escrow company that purported to show funds held for the benefit of entities that Benevides controlled, which funds did not actually exist. 

On occasion, Benevides also submitted false loan applications supported by the false documents and signed documents certifying the accuracy of the false documents.  Once Benevides obtained the loans, he used the funds from the loans to pay the interest and principal on previously obtained loans, which he had also obtained through fraud.  Benevides also used the funds from the loans to fund his lifestyle and the businesses he controlled.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless,  and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Secret Service, and the St. Cloud IRS-USSS Federal Financial Crimes Task Force.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Irick.

Tampa, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that John Alexander Talley (42, Seattle, Washington), and his company, Tallyho Peripherals, Inc. d/b/a Enterprise Solutions Systems, today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transaction Regulations. Talley faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, from approximately 2009 to September 2012, Talley and his company conspired with others to unlawfully export sophisticated enterprise level computer equipment from the United States to Iran, and to provide computer IT support services for the equipment, all in violation of the United States embargo. Talley’s role was to provide training and computer IT support to ensure that the computer equipment operated in Iran. In an effort to conceal their activities, the conspirators in the United States caused shipments of the computers and related equipment, as well as the payments for same, to travel to and from the United States and Iran through the United Arab Emirates. Similarly, payments for Talley’s support services were transmitted through the UAE.

On September 12, 2013, two Iranian nationals, Mahmood Akbari a/k/a John Wassermann and Reza Hajigholamali, and three United Arab Emirate “front” companies, Patco Group Ltd., Managed Systems and Services (FZC), and TGO General Trading LLC a/k/a Three Green Orbit, were indicted in connection with the same conspiracy to violate the Iranian Embargo. Those parties are charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transaction Regulations, and a conspiracy to commit international money laundering. If convicted, Akbari and Hajigholamali each face a maximum penalty of up to 40 years in federal prison.

On July 11, 2012, co-conspirator Mohammad Reza “Ray” Hajian and three of his companies, RH International LLC, Nexiant LLC, and P & P Computers LLC, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transaction Regulations. On October 18, 2012, Hajian was sentenced to four years in federal prison.

"The magnitude and scope of the threats facing the United States has never been greater than today, and that's why Homeland Security Investigations investigates individuals who try to export sensitive technologies to embargoed nations," said Sue McCormick, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Tampa. "Homeland Security Investigations and our partners at the Department of Commerce take pride in protecting our country, and today’s guilty plea is the latest example of our effective investigative efforts."

"Today's guilty plea is another step to dismantle a complex diversion scheme to illegally divert U.S.-origin technology through the United Arab Emirates to Iran. We will continue to pursue those who present a threat to our national security and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law," said Robert Luzzi, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, Miami Field Office.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle DesVaux Bedke and Mark E. Bini and U.S. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Mariclaire Rourke.

Tampa, FL - U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Tiffany McIntyre (34, Ocala) to three years in federal prison for committing health care fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of her sentence, the court ordered restitution and entered a money judgment in the amount of $128,051.76, the proceeds of the health care fraud. McIntyre pleaded guilty on June 3, 2013.

According to court documents, McIntyre engaged in a scheme to defraud the State of Florida Medicaid Program ("Medicaid") by billing for services that were not rendered, using the identities of Medicaid recipients without their knowledge or permission. Medicaid, a federal health insurance program that provides coverage for indigent persons, children, and certain disabled individuals, is funded through federal and state tax revenue.

In August 2009, McIntyre was issued an Adult Family Care Home license by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). The license allowed her to operate an adult family care home in Ocala. She also submitted an application to become a Medicaid Provider to AHCA, requesting approval to provide daily living assistance as an assistive care provider, in her Ocala adult care family home, to Medicaid recipients who are not able to function by themselves. For a period of time in 2009 and 2010, McIntyre provided some of these services. Thereafter, she submitted false claims to Medicaid for assistive care services for Medicaid recipients who never resided at her adult family care home. From January 2011 through at least September 2012, McIntyre submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicaid in the amount of approximately $148,681, using the identities of Medicaid recipients without their knowledge or authorization. McIntyre was paid a total of $128,051.76 by Medicaid for these false and fraudulent claims.

This case was investigated by Department of Health and Human Services and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Office of the Florida Attorney General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.

Ocala, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that yesterday a federal jury found Thomas W. Harter, D.M.D. guilty of six counts of willful failure to file income tax returns for the years 2006 through 2011. Harter faces a maximum penalty of six years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Harter was charged in a superseding information on April 16, 2013.

According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, Harter stopped filing income tax returns in 2000. From 2006 through 2011, Harter received gross income from his dental practice of at least $1,709,230.00, and he filed no tax returns and paid no income taxes for those years.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, with assistant from Special Enforcement Program Revenue Agents of the Internal Revenue Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Armstrong.

Orlando, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Werawat Isaraphanich (38, Bronx, New York) today pleaded guilty to access device fraud. Isaraphanich faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. As part of his plea agreement, Isaraphanich has agreed to forfeit more than$176,000 that is being held in two accounts. These funds will be returned to the victims as partial payment toward their losses.

According to court documents, Isaraphanich used stolen credit card numbers to purchase tickets from Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, StubHub, and Ticket Master. He then sold the tickets at a discount. To purchase the tickets, Isaraphanich used software that generated a fictitious caller ID, which allowed him to mask the telephone number that he was using when he called to purchase the tickets and other items. Between April 2010 and June 2013, Isaraphanich made approximately 1,800 calls using fictitious caller IDs, and used more than 100 stolen credit card numbers to make fraudulent purchases. As part of his scheme, Isaraphanich attempted over $1.1 million in fraudulent credit card transactions, with victims suffering more than $323,000 in actual losses.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Jacksonville, FL - Acting U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that a federal jury found Melvin Hubert Holmes (52, Clay County) guilty of production and possession of child pornography. Holmes faces not less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison on the production charge, and up to 10 years in prison on the possession charge. After the return of the jury verdict, Holmes was remanded to the custody of United States Marshals Service pending his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for January 6, 2014.

According to testimony and evidence presented during trial, from March 10, 2012 through August 19, 2012, Holmes had installed a hidden video spy camera in several areas in a bathroom within his residence. On several occasions, Holmes used the camera to capture pornographic videos and images of a minor child. On August 23, 2012, partially covered holes in a sink vanity and in two walls that had housed the camera were discovered and the Clay County Sheriff's Office was contacted. During the investigation, several items were seized, including a laptop computer belonging to Holmes. A forensic analysis of the computer revealed several dozen images and videos depicting child pornography that were produced by Holmes.

This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday sentenced Mark W. Jackson (62), a former resident of Pinellas County and a former Florida attorney, to eleven years and three months in federal prison for bank and mail fraud conspiracy. The court also ordered Jackson to serve five years of supervised release, to pay restitution of $166,795.89, to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $200,000, and to pay a special assessment of $100.

Jackson pleaded guilty to the charge on August 28, 2008, but fled prior to being sentenced. He was a fugitive from February 17, 2009, until March 30, 2012 ,when he was arrested in North Carolina by local law enforcement authorities for committing offenses similar to those committed in the Middle District of Florida.

According to court documents and sentencing testimony, the conspiracy took place from a time prior to April 2000, and continued through July 2, 2004. As part of the conspiracy, Jackson and his co-conspirator William Wayne Dykstra stole mail matter containing personal information as well as personal and business checks from the United States mail. They then produced and used counterfeit personal identification documents, including unlawfully obtained copies of other individuals valid Florida driver licenses. They opened numerous accounts and rented mail boxes at Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies (CMRAs) using fraudulent identification documents. The pair also opened bank accounts in the names of others using stolen identification information. They produced counterfeit personal and business checks, deposited those checks into the fraudulently opened bank accounts, then withdrew funds from the accounts using ATMs. They also produced counterfeit personal and business checks based on checks stolen from the U.S. Mails, and then negotiated and attempted to negotiate the checks at drive-through teller windows of various bank branches throughout the Middle District of Florida using stolen or fraudulent identity documents. Jackson and Dykstra fraudulently obtained and attempted to obtain more than $200,000 from the compromised banks during the conspiracy.

Dykstra pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy in August 2008. On February 17, 2009, he was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Donald L. Hansen.

Tampa, FL - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Keomala Phandara Khammanivong (32, St. Petersburg) today pleaded guilty to charges of stealing and embezzling funds from the Pinellas County Housing Authority. She faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison.

According to the facts presented at the plea hearing, Khammanivong was employed as a “Cashier/Clerk Typist” by the Pinellas County Housing Authority (PCHA) at the French Villas in St. Petersburg, from July 7, 2008 to August 8, 2012. In that job position, Khammanivong was responsible for a variety of tasks, which included receiving, counting, and balancing payments of rent made by the tenants, issuing receipts to tenants; and making daily bank deposits. During this time, Khammanivong received money orders from various PCHA tenants and either altered or wrote out the money orders in her name. She then deposited these altered or fraudulent money orders in her personal bank account, instead of depositing the funds in the PCHA accounts. Over this time period, Khammanivong stole a total of $23,126, from the Pinellas County Housing Authority and spent these funds for her personal use.

This case was investigated by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.

Fort Myers, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Charles Allen Nave, III (39, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography. Nave faces a mandatory minimum term of 5 years, up to a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, on January 31, 2013, Nave knowingly distributed child pornography over the Internet to an undercover agent that he met in an online chat room. Nave sent the undercover agent four emails with attachments depicting images of child pornography. Following the execution of a search warrant, a forensic analysis of Nave’s computer revealed more than 300 images and 20 videos of child pornography.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), along with the Sanibel Police Department, the Fort Myers Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Lee County Sheriff's Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Fort Myers, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Ebony Edwards today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft, to file false claims against the government, and to theft of government money or property. She faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, Edwards was employed with a health care provider and obtained the personal identifying information of at least 11 patients, including names, social security numbers, and dates of birth. Edwards transmitted the information to a conspirator via text messages using her cell phone. The co-conspirator then used that information to file false income tax returns.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

TAMPA, FL - Acting U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Gregory Albert Darst (71, Palmetto) guilty of one count of attempted interference with the Internal Revenue laws and four counts of willfully failing to file income tax returns. Darst, who was indicted on April 11, 2013, faces a maximum penalty of seven years in federal prison.

According to evidence presented at trial, Darst has not filed a federal income tax return since 1989. During the years charged in the indictment, Darst earned income from his operation of a mobile home park located in Largo, Florida. The income received exceeded the minimum amount requiring him to file annual tax returns. Evidence also showed that Darst engaged in a lengthy and coordinated effort to obstruct and impede the administration of the tax laws. He sent fraudulent documents to the IRS purporting to pay off his tax debt; attempted to retaliate against several IRS employees by making false accusations of misconduct; and he sent threatening correspondence to a private citizen who purchased property from Darst, which was encumbered by valid IRS levies and liens.

"Convictions, like the one returned against Mr. Darst today, send a loud and clear message that regardless of their opinions, people who willfully defy the tax laws will be fully investigated, prosecuted and subjected to the full punishment of the law," said Special Agent-in Charge James D. Robnett of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (Tampa Field Office). "Those Americans who file accurate, honest and timely returns can be assured that the government will hold accountable those who don't."

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Mueller.

Orlando, FL - U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr., yesterday sentenced Edwin Vidal Torres (31, Deltona) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Based upon his lengthy criminal history, which included offenses involving violence, firearms, and drug trafficking, Torres was designated a career offender. He pleaded guilty to the charges on June 4, 2013.

According to court documents, on April 18, 2013, Torres possessed a firearm during the sale of cocaine. Immediately following the sale, agents arrested Torres with 19 ounces of cocaine, a digital scale, $3,793 in cash, and a revolver. Following his arrest, Torres admitted that he carried the firearm during drug deals involving more than nine ounces of cocaine. He also stated that he carried the firearm to protect his drugs, drug money, as well as himself during his drug transactions.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Volusia Bureau of Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Irick.

Tampa. Florida- U.S. District Judge William J. Castagna yesterday sentenced Eugene E. Davis (39) to life in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and conspiracy to possess 280 grams or more of cocaine base. The life sentence was imposed as a result of Davis's prior felony drug convictions. A federal jury found Davis guilty on May 16, 2013.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Davis engaged in a year- long conspiracy with others to distribute hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and crack cocaine in Hillsborough County. Davis, a prolific crack dealer, was known for purchasing multiple kilograms of cocaine and cooking it into crack cocaine. Often described as "flashy and flamboyant," Davis used his drug proceeds to fund an extravagant lifestyle of high-end cars, expensive jewelry, and thousands of dollars in cash. The court also concluded that Davis was a career offender who obstructed justice when he attempted to intimidate witnesses by listing their names in news outlets and on social media, labeling them "snitches."

This case resulted from an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) joint investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

Tampa, FL - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest of Eleftherios (Ted) Zachariadis (46, Lake Alfred) for possession of child pornography. If convicted, Zachariadis faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Zachariadis was charged by criminal complaint on September 9, 2013.

According to the complaint, an undercover law enforcement officer downloaded multiple child pornography files over the Internet from an IP address connected to Zachariadis's residence. On September 9, 2013, a federal search warrant was executed at the residence. Zachariadis was found to be in possession of more than 900 images and more than 200 videos depicting child pornography.

A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Lake Alfred Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Orlando, FL - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Warren Scott Kennell (45, West Milford, New Jersey) today pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography. Kennell faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to a maximum of 30 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, between December 2008 and August 2011, Kennell produced images of child pornography involving two minor victims. According to the plea agreement, on May 31, 2013, Kennell arrived at Orlando International Airport from Panama City, Panama. After retrieving his luggage, Kennell was escorted to the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) secondary inspection area.

After Kennell was seated, a special agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) searched Kennell's belongings and found three thumb drives and one external hard drive. During an interview, Kennell said that he had worked in Brazil as a missionary for the New Tribes Mission, in Sanford, Florida, and that he had been doing missionary work for several years. Kennell told the agent that he had never touched a child in a sexual and/or inappropriate manner, that he had never taken pornographic images of a child, and that there would be no child pornography found on any of the items in his luggage.

After Kennell made these statements, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) computer forensic agents advised that two images of child pornography had been found on Kennell's external hard drive.

When shown the first image, Kennell acknowledged that he was the man in the picture performing a sex act on the prepubescent female. Kennell said that he believed the girl was about 12 years old at the time the picture was taken. When shown the second image, Kennell admitted that he had taken that picture and that the girl in the second image also had been about 12 years old at the time. Kennell further admitted that both images had been taken in Brazil while he was on the missionary assignment.

A forensic examination of Kennell’s external hard drive showed more than 940 images of child pornography. The child victims are members of an indigenous tribe in the Amazon, where Kennell was setting up a church.

This case was investigated by HSI, with assistance from FDLE. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tanya Davis Wilson.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Jacksonville, Florida - U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced John Martin Spaulding (22, Jacksonville) to 38 years in federal prison for two counts of armed robbery and two counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He pleaded guilty on April 24, 2013.

According to court documents, Spaulding robbed the Walgreens on Normandy Boulevard, in Jacksonville, on June 13, 2012. During the robbery, Spaulding fired a 9mm pistol into the ceiling. No one was injured and Spaulding escaped with approximately $144.

On July 18, 2012, Spaulding and an accomplice attempted to rob the Walgreens on Park Street. Spaulding demanded money and prescription drugs from an employee. The employee told Spaulding that the pharmacy was closed. Spaulding then fired multiple shots into a door as he tried unsuccessfully to break into the pharmacy department. Officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office responded to the scene and arrested Spaulding and his accomplice. No one was injured in the attempted robbery. Officers also recovered a Hi-Point 9mm pistol that Spaulding used in both robberies.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Robbery Unit and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.

Jacksonville, Florida -United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced John Carver Lester (61, Jacksonville) to five years in federal prison for receiving child pornography over the Internet. Lester was also ordered to serve an 8-year term of supervised release, forfeit five computers, and register as a sex offender. He pleaded guilty on April 25, 2013, and has been in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since his arrest on December 20, 2012.

According to court documents, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in Jacksonville, began an investigation to identify individuals that had access to and/or were trading images and videos depicting child pornography over the Internet. The agent determined that a computer in the Jacksonville area was hosting images of child pornography using a file sharing program. The agent made a connection to this computer and downloaded several video files. Each of the videos depicted young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Further investigation revealed that the IP address resolved back to Lester’s Jacksonville residence.

According to court documents, on December 10, 2012, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Lester’s residence and seized, among other things, five computers and several hundred compact disks.

During an interview with law enforcement, Lester stated that he had been downloading child pornography for approximately five years and had developed a curiosity for it. Lester also stated that he was worried about possibly wanting to touch a child. A subsequent forensic analysis of the computers used by Lester revealed that they contained a total of 261 videos and 844 images depicting child pornography.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Tampa, FL - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Michelle M. Lutz (Clearwater, 36) to two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft. On August 20, 2013, Senior U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew sentenced her husband, Paul M. Lutz (Clearwater, 44), to two years and eight months in federal prison for misuse of a passport and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, Paul and Michelle Lutz were arrested in San Bernadino, California, for drug and weapon violations in October 2001. Shortly after their arrests, they fled California and assumed new identities. The Lutzs lived in Nevada for several years before moving to Clearwater, Florida, in 2008. While living in Clearwater, the couple had a son. Michelle Lutz worked as an exotic dancer, while Paul M. Lutz attended school, cared for the minor son, and coached a Clearwater Little League team.

In May 2012, Michelle M. Lutz, using an assumed identity, applied for a United States Passport in Clearwater. During the processing of her application, fraud detection managers determined that the information provided in the application was false. A follow up investigation revealed that Michelle and Paul Lutz had active warrants out of the State of California and were hiding out in Clearwater.

On March 6, 2013, a federal search warrant was executed at the Lutzs' Clearwater residence. Law enforcement seized blank birth certificates from more than seven different states, blank baptismal records, blank education school diplomas, a blank marriage license, social security cards and numbers in approximately fifteen different identities, stamps and seals for official documents, counterfeit currency, and an instruction book on how to establish a new identity.

This case was investigated by the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris.

Tampa, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the charging by Complaint of Jose Duarte, a.k.a "Margarito Garcia-Camacho" (45), a Mexican national residing in Highlands County; Ivan (a.k.a: "Costancio") Cabrerra-Pineda (41), a Mexican national residing in Charlotte County, and Brittnay Farabee (23), of Charlotte County, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted on all counts, each face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

According to the Complaint, on August 19, 2013, Duarte was approached by law enforcement at his residence in Lake Placid, Florida and admitted to being illegally in the United States after having been deported. He also admitted that he had been involved in the purchasing and selling of methamphetamine. Later, on that same date, investigators observed the delivery of approximately 5.4 pounds of methamphetamine from Cabrera-Pineda and Farabee to Duarte. The individuals were then taken into custody. A subsequent search was conducted at Farabee's residence, in Punta Gorda, where an additional seven pounds of methamphetamine was seized by law enforcement.

A Complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Border Patrol, the Hardee County Sheriff's Office, the Desoto County Sheriff's Office, and the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kathy J.M. Peluso.

Orlando, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that John G. Wilkins (63, Chuluota, Florida) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. Wilkins is facing up to 20 years in federal prison. Wilkins has also agreed to forfeit more than $4 million that is being held in various bank and trading accounts. These monies will be returned to the victims of the fraud, as partial payment towards the expected restitution in the case of over $16 million. Sentencing has been set for November 21, 2013.

According to court documents, Altamont Global Partners, L.L.C. owned or managed a series of investment funds. Altamont Global began operating business in 2009. Wilkins joined the company in 2009 and later became one of its managing members.

The Matterhorn Fund, LLC was the first fund for which investors were solicited by Altamont Global. To induce individuals to invest, Wilkins and others falsely represented that the Matterhorn Fund had a long history of making profits and that the individual who would be handling the trading was a graduate of Stanford University, worked for Salomon Brothers as an institutional investment advisor, and had successfully traded worldwide investment vehicles for more than three decades.

In the first quarter of 2010, the Matterhorn Fund experienced significant trading losses. Rather than accurately reporting those losses on the quarterly statements, Wilkins falsified the quarterly statements to falsely claim that the Matterhorn Fund was earning an above-market rate of return.

The false rates of returns that were claimed for the Matterhorn Fund were then used to induce individuals to invest in the McKinley Fund. The McKinley Fund also lost money and Wilkins, again, falsified the quarterly statements for that fund. Wilkins and others then used their alleged performance with the Matterhorn Fund and the McKinley Fund to solicit investments in two other funds: Midas Management Partners LLC and Binary Strategy One Fund, LLC. In total, more than 200 individuals invested more than $16 million in the four funds owned or managed by Altamont Global.

In June 2012, the National Futures Association (NFA) conducted a surprise examination of Altamont Global. During that examination, the NFA discovered that the quarterly statements were being falsified to hide losses and that the net asset values of the Matterhorn Fund and the McKinley Fund were being inflated to make it appear that trading had been successful.

On July 16, 2012, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a complaint against Wilkins and others. The District Court entered an emergency order that same day, freezing the assets of the defendants in that civil case.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the State of Florida, Office of Financial Regulation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Jacksonville, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of a superseding indictment charging Antoun Arbaji and Abas Issa with one count of conspiracy, six counts of theft of government property and six counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge, up to 10 years for each theft of government property charge, and 2 consecutive years for each aggravated identity theft charge. Arbaji faces an additional charge of making a false statement to the Department of the Treasury for which he could receive an additional five years in federal prison.

According to the indictment, Issa obtained tax refund checks that were the result of fraudulently filed tax returns that had been prepared by others, using stolen personal identification information. Many of the returns were prepared using the identities of deceased individuals. Arbaji operated a convenience store ("Fina Express") in Green Cove Springs. Issa provided the fraudulent refund checks to Arbaji, who cashed them using his business, in exchange for a fee. Arbaji then provided the proceeds to Issa. In 2011, Fina Express allegedly cashed 212 fraudulent treasury checks totaling more than $1.5 million.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III.

Tampa, FL - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew earlier this week sentenced Connie Lee (50, Brooksville) to two years in federal prison for theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft.  As part of her sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $21,402 against Lee. Lee pleaded guilty on April 30, 2013. 

According to court documents, a fraudulent federal income tax return was filed in the name of Lee's son.  Lee received the corresponding fraudulent tax refund check at her residence.  After bribing her grandson to steal her son's personal identification documents, Lee took her nephew to a local bank, where she presented her son's stolen identification to bank personnel and duped her nephew into impersonating her son in order to open a bank account.  Lee then deposited the fraudulent tax refund check into the bank account and withdrew all of the funds for her own use.  Lee also assisted another individual in cashing a fraudulent tax refund check at the same bank and was paid for her assistance in that scheme.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the Brooksville Police Department, and the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josephine W. Thomas.

Orlando, Florida - U.S. District Judge Charlene Honeywell yesterday sentenced James R. Wiese (49, Apopka) to 9 years and 7 months in federal prison for distribution and possession of child pornography. The court also ordered Wiese to serve a 10-year term of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence, and to register as a sex offender. Wiese pleaded guilty on May 29, 2013.

According to court documents, Wiese traded child pornography with others via email. As part of an undercover investigation, HSI special agents executed a search warrant at Wiese's residence on February 25, 2013, and seized all of Wiese’s computer equipment. When confronted by law enforcement officers, Wiese admitted to having collected child pornography images and videos, and storing them on his computer for at least two years. A forensic examination of Wiese’s computer equipment found more than 3,800 images and 1,150 videos depicting child pornography involving prepubescent children.

“Child pornography, when it is released onto the Internet, lives on forever. It haunts the children depicted in it, who live daily with the knowledge that countless strangers use an image of their worst experiences for their own gratification,” said Shane Folden, deputy special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Tampa, which oversees the agency’s Orlando office that conducted this investigation. “It is our duty as special agents to find and arrest these child predators and ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Myrna Amelia Mesa.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.